Serpent's Prince
by Severus's little girl
Summary: Harry Potter, the BoyWhoLived. Everyone believed that he would be the one to save them all, but they were wrong. This is the true story, the story that fate gave to him... Alternate Universe Don't forget to review!
1. Prologue

_**Serpent's Prince **_

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Harry Potter.

**_Summery: _**The beginnings of Harry's tale…

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Prologue: Beginnings **_

Once upon a time, there were two families of magical origin. These two families had very little in common; they could practice magic, each attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and they both had one child. However, they had many things that were not in common with each other, most importantly, the gift of choice and love.

One family was married deeply in love with each other and chose to follow their dreams; these two, brave Gryffindors were given that choice; their love for one another spilled over with the arrival of a child. The other family was not given a choice and was wed in the ancient practice of arrangement and held no love towards each other; the hatred of their houses, one of Gryffindor's brave the other of sly Slytherin, followed them through life, their only love was for their one child.

With so little alike to another, these families were bonded through the delicate chains of fate, fate with a name of Voldemort. The Dark Lord of England's magical world ran amuck for followers, death following him in a constant eerie glow. Gryffindor's family of love stood strong against him, refusing to join his dark crusade. The family of arrangements, however, became split. The husband of Gryffindor stood strong alongside the family of love and fought against the dark wizard while the wife of Slytherin stood alongside him, a faithful and loyal servant of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

As the days grew longer and the nights colder, the Dark Lord Voldemort steadily grew stronger and darker while the wizarding world grew more terrified. Families were torn apart by loyalties to light and dark and by the ones they called Death Eaters and their master. An order of wizards of the light, phoenixes, fought back against him aiding the weary Ministry workers trying to save their citizens. The family of love and the husband of arrangement were among the members. Many members were tortured and killed or their minds shattered; some were deemed traitors or had to hide for their lives.

On a cold and rainy night, fate started to put it plans into action with the death of one man, the husband of arrangement was killed by Voldemort himself while his wife, at her master's bidding, fled the country with their child. Soon fate, and Voldemort, would act out their plans to tear apart the family of choice and love…the Potters.

It happened on that dreary Halloween night while the small family was in hiding for the sake of their young son, Harry. Their secret keeper was a traitor among the Order and betrayed his friends to Voldemort. Voldemort, waiting for this hand of fate, moved quickly to the muggle village of Godric's Hollow to the house of James and Lily Potter. James Potter fought courageously against Voldemort in attempt to allow his wife and son a chance at survival. Sadly, James wasn't strong enough to beat the Dark Lord and lost his young life at the end of Voldemort's wand, never knowing what would happen to his family.

Young, vibrant Lily Potter, knew that her husband had fallen by the breaking of her heart; her sixth sense, that all women seemed to contain within them, seemed to understand what fate had in store for her own life as she held her son a final time. Voldemort moved quickly towards the small nursery the remaining Potters were within, thinking his plans would soon be at and end and that fate were at his side this night.

"Step aside, you silly girl!" Voldemort snarled as he entered the dim nursery.

Lily clutched her son closer. "No! Please, not Harry, not Harry!"

"Stand aside NOW!"

"Take me…please! Not Harry…please…have mercy…"

Lily's screams of pain ripped through the cold night in Godric's Hollow as her life was taken from her, her child still cradled protectively in her arms as she fell; even in death she protected her son.

Little Harry Potter, just fifteen months old, sat quietly on the carpeted floor, surprisingly no tears and no cries. He just stared at the man that pointed a wand at him before an indescribable feeling ripped through his body in a flash of green light, the cries and tears finally falling.

As young Harry sat crying, blood dripping slowly from a cut on his head, he had no clue that in a matter of hours, wizards around the country would be celebrating his mysterious achievements as the only one to survive…The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Prologue finished. I hope you enjoyed and I'm off to type chapters for A Darker Dream and Creperum. See you soon! If you want to be notified of updates, email meat just tell me in a review and I'll be more than happy email you.


	2. Harry, Snookems & Damien

_**Serpent's Prince**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I do not own Harry Potter.

**_Summery: _**Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. After the downfall of the Dark Lord Voldemort, Harry vanished from the world, found years later in the center of the magical world only to disappear again.

**_Notes: _**This story is an Alternate-Universe story, which means things are going to happen that would never happen in the actual books. And after a very long break from fan fiction, I'm back again. As always the offer is open that if you would like to be notified of updates to this story, please tell me in a review or email me at snapeslilangelathotmaildotcom. Enjoy the latest chapter of _Serpent's Prince_!

_**Chapter 1**_

_**Harry, Snookems & Damien  
**_

* * *

_**  
**_

The small and spotless sitting room was in a state of panic as Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of Number 4 Privet Drive, sat before a small bundle of blankets on the sofa. The Dursleys had a secret that they would never admit too. They had _freaks_ in the family; Petunia Dursley's own sister. Her sister was a witch, a witch who could perform actual magic. Her witch of a sister married a wizard and together they had one child, a son by the name of Harry. Harry was currently slumbering in his nest of blankets on the Dursley sofa.

"Petunia, he will not stay here," Vernon Dursley declared to his wife, talking about the small boy, his nephew, bundled on the sofa. The sun was slowly rising on that gloomy November day.

"Vernon, they'll know if we get rid of him," Petunia Dursley whispered. "They always know."

"They won't. I will not have him influencing our Dudley; he is leaving," Vernon said with authority, closing the argument.

After the brief argument early that morning, Vernon Dursley left his wife and infant son for London with his small nephew, who was wrapped in blankets with only a small scrap of paper bearing his name. A letter had originally been placed with him, but was burned not long before Vernon left his home.

For several hours, Dursley went from orphanage to orphanage, but none would take the boy. Finally, in the dirty back streets of the slums, little Harry Potter was left on the stoop of a very rundown, filthy building of an orphanage. Unknown to Mr. Dursley, this building was connected to another in a dark and magical place. A place known as Knockturn Alley.

* * *

Harry Potter ran as fast as his small legs would carry him through the bustling London streets. For three months, Harry had been a pickpocket for his wizard caretaker and he had been caught. Being caught meant beatings and for the four year old, it would be bad. Since he could remember, the tip of his caretaker's wand had abused Harry, though few scars remained. Caretaker had always told Harry who he was and what he had done in the past. He had also made it clear to the child that he was no supporter of the light.

With speed, Harry ducked through knees and into the Leaky Cauldron, maybe caretaker wouldn't find out he'd been caught and besides he had –_oomph_!

Little Harry was thrown from his simple, yet troubled, thoughts as he fell onto the ground of the busy pub and he slowly looked at the man he collided with. He was tall and pale with black hair hanging around his face; slightly scary looking, but not as scary as caretaker though.

"Boy is sorry, sir. Reawy, I is," Harry apologized quickly.

The man frowned. "Boy? What is your name?" He asked, kneeling down closer, his black robes billowing around him.

Harry looked around cautiously; more trouble would come if people knew whom he was. "Boy is Harry, Harry Potter," he whispered.

The man seemed surprised, though his frown deepened and he looked almost angry as he took in Harry's dirty, thin and ragged appearance.

"My name is Severus, Harry. Severus Snape."

"Hi, Severus," Harry said simply, though he had difficulty with the man's name.

"Where do you live, Harry?"

"Knockturn Alley with Caretaker."

"How about we get you something to eat, Harry?" Severus said slowly.

Harry nodded his head yes without thinking twice. He took hold of Severus' hand and was led quietly to the fireplace before they disappeared in a swirl of emerald flames.

* * *

Contrary to belief, Severus Snape did have a heart, and now, it was bleeding as he watched a four year old eat, heartedly, what may had been his first decent meal in years. When Harry told him he lived in Knockturn Alley's orphanage, Severus knew he had to take him home. There was only one orphanage in that area and it wasn't even an official orphanage, which explained why Harry hadn't been found before now.

After disappearing from his mother's family, Harry had reappeared to the man that hated his father the most after living in the worst place for a child, next to a dragon's nest of course.

Severus hated James, everyone knew that, but he didn't hate Lily. No, nothing in his body could hate her and, though he looked like James, Severus could see Lily deep inside the boy. Severus wouldn't allow harm to bestow Lily's son again.

"Severus?" Harry whispered cautiously.

"Yes?" He responded, pulled from his musings.

"I tired."

"Okay Harry, lets get you cleaned up."

Severus took the child upstairs to the spare bathroom and placed him in a full tub of warm water and bubbles. It took time, but the sleepy child was eventually spotless with the aid of different soaps, shampoos, several potions and his wand, for a quick trim, and now the small child was sleeping peacefully in the spare bedroom.

* * *

Three weeks had passed since Severus took little Harry home. At first, Harry had feared that Severus would return him to caretaker, but he never did. Slowly, Harry adapted to his new surrounding, yummy food, clean clothes, actual baths and even a few toys! For the first time he could remember, Harry was truly happy.

Severus peaked into the kitchen to check on Harry as he colored intently. A quick rapping at the front door stole his attention and he walked through the drab sitting room; the entire house had an unlived-in air and wasn't entirely appropriate for a small child. Opening the door just a crack, Severus looked out before opening it fully.

"Marcus, thank you for coming," Severus greeted the thin, well-kept man. He stepped aside to allow him inside.

"Your letter caught my complete attention, Severus. I am quite curious," the man told him, walking to the book filled sitting room. "You wish to adopt a child?"

"Yes, Marcus. The son of someone I cared for deeply," Severus explained, sitting across from the lawyer.

"Who, Severus, who? Don't keep me in suspense," the man chuckled.

Severus narrowed his eyes seriously. "Let me first remind you of the oath of secrecy you took when you became a lawyer, Marcus. Nothing you hear or say can ever be repeated."

"I am quite aware of that; you know I would never repeat anything."

"Either way. Do you have the documents?"

"Of course," Marcus said, now seeming very professional as he pulled out rolls of heavy parchment. "Everything is in order, I just need the name of the child, Severus."

"Harry James Potter."

"Yes, thank you. Harry James Potter," Marcus repeated as realization slowly crept along his face. "_Harry Potter_!"

"I would like it if you didn't shout his name out, Marcus. He is in the kitchen coloring right now," Severus smirked.

"But how? When? Where was he?"

"Knockturn Alley, though he quite literally ran into me at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Knockturn Alley? My god, he lived there?" Marcus whispered, flabbergasted. Marcus took a deep breath and regained his thoughts. "Severus, everything is in order to adopt Harry and give him a proper home. As you might know, the Ministry does not regulate adoptions, so you do not have to worry about your past interfering with the process."

Severus nodded. "Before I sign, there is one thing I want to do," he said, before standing and walking towards the kitchen.

Harry sat humming to himself as he colored a picture for Severus. It had a snitch, a snake, a cauldron and Harry; he was quite proud of his drawing.

"Harry," Severus called as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, Sebe-Sebi…yes, Sev?" He responded, still having extreme difficulties with his name.

"I want to ask you something important, Harry," Severus said, kneeling to Harry's level. "How would you feel if I were to adopt you?"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. Someone wanted to actually adopt him?

"You…you want to adopt boy…me?" Harry asked very slowly.

"Yes, Harry."

Harry lurched forward and squeezed Severus' neck tightly. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Severus hugged the boy tightly and a new thought entered his mind. He was Severus Snape and the child was Harry Potter; it wasn't safe for either of them to have a connection with each other.

"Harry, we're going to play a little game," Severus said as he carried the child into the sitting room. "I want you to think of a name for yourself."

"What about you? You too?"

"You can think of a name for me as well."

Harry thought a moment. "Snookems!" He finally exclaimed; his face was lit up with excitement.

Severus scowled and groaned inwardly. "Fine, I'll be Mister…Snookems," he said flatly. "Now, pick one for yourself."

Harry sat quietly again as he thought on Severus' request. "Damien," he finally.

"Damien it is then. Your new name will be Damien Snape, little one."

* * *

The necessary documents had been signed and sealed for the adoption of Harry James Potter, renamed Damien Alexander Snape, and only one step remained; the magic spells binding them as father and son.

Severus held his adoptive son in his arms while his lawyer performed the magic. With the prick of their fingers, Severus' blood combined with little Damien's making him his son in both legal ties and blood ties. However, the blood adoption would also change his appearance to reflect that of his new father as well.

Quietly, Severus watched as the once unruly black hair smoothed out somewhat, also hanging down around his eyes. His skin became paler and his features less James like and defined. To his astonishment, the emerald green eyes remained only somewhat darker, unique against his pale skin. The lightening bolt scar was still there, but the color had faded so it was almost the same shade as the rest of his face. If you looked hard enough you would still see it, but his hair was hiding a portion of it.

Damien smiled at his father, his pale lips like his mother's. Damien Alexander Snape had been born.

* * *

Well, that is chapter one for you. Again, if you would like me to email you when I update, feel free to contact me. Thank you for your patience and your reviews (which are always appreciated)!

**Saturday, September 30, 2006**


End file.
